The Importance of Break Time or Playtime in Primary School

The practitioner in an early years setting supporting children’s play learning and development is extremely important, as play helps stimulate the child’s brain, supports their needs on an educational level, as well as helping them with social difficulties such as building relationships, developing them and helping them gain confidence. Many people believe that a child learns best when they are motivated, such as Fredrich Froebel. He believed that children benefitted from all types of play. The McMillan sisters believed that outdoor play was extra important as they studied children who played and slept outside and discovered that they were the happier and healthier children in comparison to those who only played inside.

On Tuesday we started a debate over if we are for recess and if we aren’t. I was on the pro side of the debate. With doing this debate we found out a lot of reasons why maybe recess isn’t such a good idea and why it is a good idea. For the pro side we found that recess provides an unstructured break that gives children discretionary time to engage in physical activity. We also learned that recess can be held anywhere. Recess plays an important role in a comprehensive school physical activity program and can provide a portion of the activity that a child needs every day to maintain health. We also told the con group that children learn through play. Free play allows children the opportunity to be themselves and use their imaginations. The con

The general argument made by Steve Rushin in his work “Give the Kids a Break,” is that shortening or taking away recess all together for young children is hurting their well overall well being deeply. More specifically, he argues that recess which he refers to as “a universal human need” is being taken away in order to prevent bullying and lawsuits. He writes that taking away recess to prevent bullying is “like scalping in an effort to end dandruff.” He also writes of his own time in elementary school saying that all of his recesses would end “like round 8 of a prize fight.” He goes on to tell his own tales of the many injuries and torture from older kids that he endured reminding us that despite the harshness of the playground he turned out

Similarly, Keating et al (2000) reported the dilemma facing teachers who are required to provide continual recorded evidence of learning and achievement to both parents and professionals. So, should teaching professionals encourage quality learning through active play, which is often difficult to formally assess compared to the readily assessable written tasks, or should we choose more formal work which may sacrifice the quality of the child's learning experience? The current focus on the expectations of achievement that I have observed, and have suffered scrutiny of, has highlighted a perception of play being somehow inferior and supplementary to learning rather than as an important medium of learning in its own right. Keating (2000) believed that through observing child initiated play, especially in its recreational form, play may not directly relate to better cognition as measured in SATs tests, but conversely, can foster other important abilities, such as persistence, self-esteem, task-orientation, creativity and positive attitudes to learning. Then, if play highlights so many important learning aptitudes within the classroom, what does or should good practice entail?

The Playwork Principles (2006) state “All children and young people need to play. The impulse to play is innate”.

The relationship between play and learning seems obvious to many child professionals and parents, and yet there are still lack of understanding surrounding the importance of children's play. Some people believe that children need to "work" not play, and that playing serves no useful purpose in a learning and development environment. This is surprising considering that play, with its high levels of motivation and potential enjoyment empowers children (as well as people

According to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education children at preschool level have difficulties focusing on things for more than an hour and should have tasks divided into 15-20 minute activities (Rock, 2017). This is true for most younger children as it will be easier for them to focus and gain more from each activity. They cannot perform either type of play alone as children should be supervised by an adult or reasonably aged older peer, or should be engaged with an adult or peer in the activity. Humans are social creatures by nature and it is even more true in younger children. Even side by side play is considered engaging with the child as even just sitting there with them is encouraging even if it is not immediately seen.

This assignment is all about play and learning for children and young people. Play is engaging in an activity for enjoyment and pleasure however can also be used for learning purposes and development in children and young people. Play activities can be planned by practitioners within the setting or can be free-play, when a child goes off and plays by themselves. Play can be carried out individually or in groups and can also be carried out in different environments such as indoors and outdoors. ‘Research confirms the importance of play for infants in developing children’s brains and minds.’ (http://playtherapy.org.uk/ChildrensEmotionalWellBeing/AboutPlayTherapy/MainPrinciples/PlayDefinition) this is why practitioners encourage young children

Children develop normally when they are exposed to different types of play that allow them to express themselves while using their imaginations and being physically active. According to the Center for Health Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness, “Play is child’s work”; this is true because it is a child’s job is to learn and develop in their first few years of life, in order for them to do this, they play (CHETNA). Not only is playing a child’s full time job, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights listed play as a right of every child (Ginsburg). Through their full time job of play, the children develop emotionally, socially, physically, and creatively. Children need to participate in child-led play in order to

Children or even an adult get benefit from the break. The research shows that kids learn better and faster when their efforts are distributed, rather than concentrated in one thing. For example, a texas school started giving children four recess a week and saw the immediate positive results from the kids

No Child Left Behind has created a multitude of emotions and high stress situations throughout schools nationwide. Getting students to perform well on standardized tests seems to be the goal at whatever cost it takes to get there. Administrators have turned to slashing teacher prep time and much needed breaks as well as taking away physical activity from those that need it most, our young students. This writing will look at why recess is being taken away and the many benefits children get from recess. Information will be presented about the different benefits children get from recess and connections will be made as to how that may benefit them in future years.

Play contributes to children’s “physical, emotional and social well-being” (Else, 2009, p.8) and through play, the child’s holistic development and well-being is being constantly accounted for as is it led by the individual. The child decides what s/he wants to do and does it; it is

Play is the foundation stone of children’s healthy and productive lives (Oliver & Klugman, 2002) and is also a significant means of child’s learning and development (Zigler, Singer & Bishop-

Research, past and present, clearly points to the importance of play for the healthy and full development of the young child. Piaget theorized that a child's mental models, or cognitive structures, are based on the child's activities: engagement makes meaning. Many children today are not benefiting from a balance of intellect and imagination. Play is declining in our schools and preschools to meet the social

Alice Sterling Honig, author of an article “Play: Ten Power Boosts for Children’s Early Learning”, states that “children gain powerful knowledge and useful social skills through play” (p.126). Honig, who believes that play is essential for young children’s development, points out ten ways in which children can learn through play activity.